Advocacy Org Finds Ubiquitous Housing Discrimination
The Federal Fair Housing Act was passed 40 years ago, points out the Gotham Gazette, which allows the Department of Justice to prosecute “patterns or practices” of “housing discrimination”, and yet housing discrimination persists, according to the Fair Housing Justice Center, a non-profit advocacy organization. There is a significant dearth of affordable housing, for example,…
The Federal Fair Housing Act was passed 40 years ago, points out the Gotham Gazette, which allows the Department of Justice to prosecute “patterns or practices” of “housing discrimination”, and yet housing discrimination persists, according to the Fair Housing Justice Center, a non-profit advocacy organization. There is a significant dearth of affordable housing, for example, and the sales and rental markets are operated by brokers, some of whom use illegal practices and propagate discriminatory concepts such as the idea that it is okay to set a limit on the number of children. The FHJC gave the Gazette several examples of discrimination based on race (NYC is the fourth most segregated metropolitan area in the U.S. for African Americans, and the fifth most for Latinos), disabilities (such as new buildings that flaunt flout design requirements for access to disabled people), or income source. In July 2008, for example, the FHJC found that close to 400 posts from 161 different real estate companies on Craigslist discriminated on income source alone, using phrases like “no government programs.” As a solution to these violations of rights, the Center is pushing for better training of realtors and brokers, consistent and flexible enforcement of existing laws, and improved regulations towards marketing practices that will make all available units visible to all demographics.
Housing Bias Persists [Gotham Gazette]
People with lower incomes a lot of times have “no credit”…so it’s actually funny to read these posts regarding “bad credit”. It’s people with income to spend that have BAD CREDIT, people mortgages that they can’t pay. People with jobs are able to get credit cards and loans…not the unemployed or poor. Stop making stupid assumptions about people and get some life experience…as opposed to what you may “feel” about a situation.
Section 8 paricipants DO NOT pay more than market rent for their apartments. Please visit NYC.GOV to get the rents for Section 8 apartments that are currently available, they are listed for all to see. Another reason I rarely visit this site…the comments on here are so out of pocket when it comes to anything that has to what is perceived as lower income. A lot of people have bad credit, especially now during this economy…even the people on this site (OMG!).
Yes, landlords tend to love Section 8 tenants…ALL OVER THE COUNTRY…NOT JUST IN NEW YORK, HONEY. THIS IS A KNOWN FACT. Simply, because the get their money on time.
Also, NYC.gov will give you the two types of Section 8 that are available in New York and the guidelines…that way you don’t have to guess and assume:).
MM – I have seen THOUSANDS of credit reports of prosepective tenants both in Sec 8 and without. And yes all the Sec 8 had bad credit (as did a majority of non-Sec 8).
Although I will concede my conclusion is anecdotal, I think it is pretty accurate logically as well – as in…people who are struggling financially are going to have more credit issues and only people who struggle financially are going to qualify for Sec 8.
As for your ANECDOTE that many LL love renting to Sec 8 – let me anecedotally tell you that this is only true because Sec 8 will pay more rent $ than market for most outer bor apats, and the LL who love Sec 8 are the LL you dont want to have. Ignoring the fact that while you will eventually get your money from Sec 8 (far from clockwork and often not properly identified as to whom the money is being paid for – leading to an administrative nightmare) – the idea that Sec 8 tenants maintain their apartments better than non-program tenants is ludicrous. There is a reason why LL dont want Sec 8 tenants – cause they are generally well known to be a nightmare on a building.
Please explain why (based on your theory) EVERY LL wouldnt want love Sec 8?- what LL wouldnt want a tenant that always pays (usually above market) and maintains the apartment better too? – there is a reason why most LL seek to avoid Sec 8 – and denying it only ignores a large dose of reality
“Fsrg, where are you getting the stats that ‘virtually EVERY single section 8 recipient has bad credit and/or is unemployed’?”
Good question, sounds anecdotal at best, and assumes much. You would have had to have seen the credit and employment stats on hundreds of people in order to make a factual statement like that. Somehow I doubt that.
Section 8 housing programs require the tenant to pay a percentage of their income for rent, while the gov’t pays the difference. The program is very strict about the recipient paying their share, and maintaining their apartments. If they screw up, they get tossed out of the program. It was designed as a gov’t program to make up the difference between what the working poor could afford, and market rate rents. As I’m sure you know, an apartment has to conform to strict conditions to be section 8 worthy, and those conditions are often better than some apts I’ve seen offered for market rates. All that’s not to say that there aren’t both tenants and landlords who ruin it for everyone, but I know some landlords who love renting to Section 8 tenants because they know they will be getting a check from the program like clockwork every month, and that tenants are motivated to maintain their apts, and stay in the program.
Fsrg, where are you getting the stats that “virtually EVERY single section 8 recipient has bad credit and/or is unemployed”?
youagain –
You are correct – many socio economic groups have bad credit – BUT – if LL consistently does not rent to people with bad credit (using set criteria) and/or unemployed people then you do not have to rent to Section 8 prospects who have bad credit and/or are unemployed.
And I hate to tell you but virtually EVERY single section 8 recipient has bad credit and/or is unemployed – THEREFORE – the law is effectively unenforceable – since you can almost always refuse to rent to Section 8 tenants based on other PERMISSIBLE criteria (as long as you apply those criteria uniformly)
So let me get this straight….only people who arent in govt assisted housing programs have bad credit? How many working people you know have even half ass credit? thats the problem lumping everyone into a one size fits all…get together people bad credit doesnt discriminate ask Donald
Iron Balls – they can….
the law expanding anti-discrimination is effectivly unenforceable.
You can’t discriminate against the source of the income for someone to be able to afford the rent – (i.e. Sec 8) But you are still allowed to screen tenants for credit worthiness, employment, prior housing ct issues.
– and thank god for that – otherwise alot of good buildings will go to $hit in short order.
So as long as the LL is willing to take any Sec 8 tenant with good credit, good employment history and no prior housing ct actions, they are in full compliance with the law – btw how many Sec 8 tenants you think fit that criteria?
Why can’t landlords choose to have folks with jobs as tenants?